This week in Terra Linda someone was passing out a “Notice to PG&E Customers” on doorsteps. It was an alarmist postcard, in both English and Spanish, about self generation systems, ie solar. If you aren’t signed up, your PG&E electricity bill will go up 37%! Thank goodness we got this postcard warning us right?
I saw the postcard on my doorstep and the first thought that came to my mind was, scam. Later that day one of my neighbors called me about the postcard, and I assured her it was a scam. That night I googled the phone number on the postcard 877-743-1143 and the first link that came up was a Facebook post from 3 months ago in Solano County. The person had called PG&E and was assured it was a scam.
The next link I clicked onto was the Better Business Bureau, a scam alert posting from 9/12/25. Here’s what was posted on the BBB scam alert webpage about the postcard, “This business is posting official-looking cards door-to-door claiming the state or PG&E will raise energy prices on homes that don't get solar (self-generation) installed. I assume the link they give is to their install company. They do not mention that they are not from the state or PG&E. This is misleading.”
Interestingly enough, the phone number 877-743-1142 (not to be confused with 877-743-1143 for this solar company), is for PG&E’s solar service center. They are being very tricky indeed. This solar company does have a very slick looking website. On the homepage they’ve even got a section entitled, “Trusted by Homeowners Across California”. Misplaced trust to be sure.
I’ve written about solar before. I think it’s a great thing for our environment. I also think that some solar salespeople will say just about anything to get make a sale. That goes double for the people who door knock. It’s all rainbows and unicorns, until reality sets in. It hits particularly hard for people who lease solar when they go to sell and the lease needs to be bought out. One of my clients signed a lease agreement and her energy bill actually went up!
Scams are everywhere, online and in the real world. If you have any doubts, trust your instinct. Call a trusted friend. Just don’t click on any suspicious links in text messages or emails. And be wary of solar companies. Some are good. Others are scammers. Remember as the old saying goes, you are better safe than sorry.